Broken Down Crane
by DonaldDouglasandToby6
Summary: Rocky's cable snaps while trying to lift Murdoch after yet another accident, so Jerome and Judy are called to take his place. Unfortunately, troubles of their own start to pop up.


Rocky is a large breakdown crane who works for the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre.

He lifts engines, coaches, or trucks back onto the rails whenever there's an accident, but also works at quarries or construction sites.

When he first arrived, some of the engines thought he was completely useless, but, like Harvey, Rocky quickly proved them wrong.

It was a lovely day, up at the Blue Mountain Quarry.

Rocky was lifting boulders that were too heavy for other machines.

Luke watched in awe.

"How do you haul all those heavy rocks?" he asked.

Rocky chuckled as he turned to him.

"It comes with the job. I am pretty strong after all."

"Now, don't you go boasting about it," grinned Peter Sam, who Rocky was loading the boulders for.

"Oh, it's fine, Peter Sam. I'm no crane to boast." said Rocky, but he noticed his cable was having a little bit of a hard time hauling up the boulders.

"Come on," Rocky grunted.

"You need some help?" asked Sir Handel.

"No, I'm fine." muttered Rocky as the boulders were loaded into Peter Sam's trucks.

Peter Sam whistled as he and Luke puffed away.

Rocky sighed, just as Paxton the Diesel came in with some empty trucks.

"Rocky! You're needed right away! Murdoch just had an accident!" he cried nervously.

"Again?" moaned Rocky, "I swear that engine is cursed now. All the same, I hope he's alright."

He paused.

"Well, who's going to take me there?"

"Oh, uh, right... You can't move on your own," chuckled Paxton nervously.

Suddenly a whistle rang through the quarry.

"I think that's... Harvey?" asked Rocky.

"Who's 'Harvey'?" asked Sir Handel.

"He's a crane engine, but unlike me, he can move on his own," explained Rocky.

"Sounds very useful," said Peter Sam.

"Indeed," agreed Rocky as the crane engine backed down onto him.

"Come on, Rocky! We have a rescue to do!" said Harvey.

"Right!" cried Rocky, although he was a little bit nervous as Harvey chuffed away with him.

"I hope my cable holds out..." he said quietly.

Along the Main Line, Murdoch had derailed.

"Ugh, and I had just been repaired! This is completely unfair! Worst of all, these trucks are interrupting my peace and quiet!" moaned Murdoch.

"Because we Troublesome Trucks will get the engines every time, we trucks always make them run off the line! We push them here, push them there, until they go too fast! Then we push them once again, laughing while they crash! Us Troublesome Trucks, will get them all the same!" sang the trucks.

Murdoch rolled his eyes.

"Ugh, you never stop singing! And it's awful on top of that! At least there isn't a sheep around."

A sheep baaed in the distance.

Then another one ran up alongside and baaed along with it, creating a rather annoying noise.

"...great." said Murdoch.

He then heard some puffing in the distance.

"Oh, thank goodness!" grinned Murdoch, "An engine! Help, please! Save me from the terrors of sheep and trucks' singing!"

"Hey, we're better than you!" shouted a truck.

The puffing turned out to be Harvey, and behind him, Rocky.

"Don't worry, Murdoch," said Rocky, "We'll soon sort your troubles out."

Murdoch sighed with relief.

"Thank you..."

Harvey soon took care of the unhurt trucks, which were still singing.

"Murdoch pulls the trucks along the line! He's happy and he thinks it's going fine! But soon we all start to moan We rattle and groan!" said a truck as Harvey lifted him in the air.

"Will you quit your yakking?" asked Harvey, who was rather annoyed.

Rocky, meanwhile, had the honor of lifting Murdoch onto a flatbed to take to the Steamworks.

The chains were fastened around the large engine.

Rocky gulped as a workman gave the signal.

The crane sighed and started to lift.

He grunted as the big engine was slowly lifted off the ground.

"Goodbye sheep! Luckily I won't see you for a while!" chortled Murdoch.

Rocky grunted again as his cable started to strain.

"Rocky, what's wrong?" asked Harvey worriedly.

"I... think my cable's gonna snap soon," said Rocky hastily, as his cheeks were bright pink from trying to lift Murdoch, since his cable wasn't as strong as it used to be.

Suddenly, without any prior warning, the cable suddenly snapped.

"Ouch!" yelped Rocky as Murdoch tumbled back to the ground.

"Oooohh... That hurt!" cried Murdoch.

Rocky felt very sad.

"I suppose the rescuer himself has to be taken to the Steamworks too..." sighed Rocky.

"Don't worry, Rocky. I know who can help us." said Harvey and his driver phoned Knapford Yard.

Two green cranes slept on a siding, not having any idea what was going on.

"Do you think I should wake them up?" giggled Charlie.

"That'd be quite rude, don't you think?" asked Stanley.

"Nah. It'd be funny!"

"I thought you didn't want to make jokes anymore." said Stanley sternly.

"Uh... yes. Sorry," sighed Charlie.

Just then the yard manager ran up to them.

"Someone has to take Jerome and Judy to Rocky and Murdoch. Murdoch crashed and Rocky's cable snapped while trying to help him."

"I have to get back to Great Waterton," said Stanley worriedly.

"And I'm pretty sure I can't pull Rocky on my own," added Charlie, "Anyhow, I'm needed here."

The yard manager sighed.

Henry came into the yard to collect a goods train.

"Charlie, where are my trucks?" he asked crossly.

Charlie gulped.

"Oh, uh, sorry Henry... I didn't mean to forget."

"Well-"

"Hold it, Henry. You need to take Jerome and Judy to Murdoch's accident." said the yard manager.

"Oh no! Is he alright?"

"You'll have to find out," sighed the yard manager.

"Yes sir!" cried Henry as he trundled over to the cranes' siding.

When he noticed the two cranes were sleeping, he couldn't help but smirk.

"Wake up lazywheels!" he chuckled and he blew his whistle.

Jerome and Judy woke up in an instant and quickly started panicking.

"Are we needed?" asked Judy.

"Where to?" asked Jerome.

Henry snickered.

"Well, you're needed to help Rocky. Let's hurry up; I want to make sure he's safe."

"Oh hurrah! We'll be useful, I assure you," said Jerome.

Henry blew his whistle to signal they were leaving, and the steam engine rolled away with the two cranes.

At the crash site, the trucks were all on the track now, while Rocky had been moved out of the way.

"I hope this will teach you trucks a lesson for being so nervy," said Harvey.

"...should we sing?"

"Nope," said a truck, "I think we got our point across."

A whistle blasted in the distance.

"Oh, it's Henry," said Murdoch.

"Hello Murdoch! How are you feeling?" asked Henry.

"Tired... Beaten up..."

"That's a shame," said Henry.

Murdoch sighed with exasperation as Jerome and Judy set to work, each lifting one side of Murdoch.

"Oh boy, it's just like the time we rescued that black engine all those years ago!" said Jerome, trying to ignore his chains slightly struggling.

"Or that lazy Diesel," smirked Judy.

Murdoch's eyes narrowed.

"I don't want to be compared to those two, please," he grunted.

"Oh, but of course," said Jerome as he lifted Murdoch's tender into the air.

Soon, Murdoch and his tender were on flatbeds.

"Are you strong enough to pull Murdoch to the Steamworks, Henry?" asked Harvey.

"I'm sure of it. I'm very strong. I once pulled two Diesels with a failed regulator," and Henry puffed away.

Harvey sighed with worry.

The Fat Controller drove up in Winston.

"My, oh my, was this a bad accident. I'm afraid Murdoch will be out of commission again. I suppose I'll have to borrow Hiro again to do Murdoch's jobs." said the Fat Controller gravely.

"How did Murdoch crash, exactly?" asked Winston.

"I think the trucks pushed him and he tumbled off the rails," Harvey explained.

"Oh." said Winston flatly.

"But sir, what about me?" asked Rocky.

"Erm, what about you?" asked the Fat Controller.

Rocky looked down sadly.

"Uh... my cable snapped, sir. I haven't been repaired for a while because of how busy the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre has been lately."

The Fat Controller sighed.

"Well, this isn't going to end well... Unless..."

The Fat Controller looked from Rocky to Jerome and Judy.

"Hmm..." the stout gentleman murmured, rubbing his chin, "Jerome and Judy, you will do Rocky's jobs until he returns."

Jerome and Judy were excited.

"Oh, thank you sir!" said Jerome, "We're not really used as much as we used to be."

"And we'd get to see more of the island. There's so far sleeping can get you," agreed Judy.

The Fat Controller laughed heartily.

"Glad to see you're enthusiastic, Jerome and Judy."

Jerome and Judy grinned as Winston drove away.

"Aren't you two lucky?" chuckled Harvey.

"Yes, indeed." said Jerome.

"Where is our first workplace?" asked Judy.

"According to the Fat Controller, I think you're supposed to go to the Blue Mountain Quarry first, since Rocky sometimes helps out there," said Harvey, "I can take you two there if you'd like."

"Oh, how wonderful!" said Judy, "I do indeed wish we'll meet whoever works there."

Soon, the three cranes arrived at the quarry.

Paxton was shunting some trucks into position.

He looked up when he heard the chuffing of an engine.

"Oh, hello Harvey! Who are these... other cranes?" asked Paxton.

"Oh, these are Jerome and Judy. They were here when the railway was new. Since then, they became more forgotten since Rocky and I arrived," explained Harvey, "But now they're being put back into use."

Paxton smiled.

"Well, that's good to hear!"

"Jerome, Judy? Perhaps you can lift those rocks and unload them into my trucks?" asked Rusty.

"Why, of course!" grinned Jerome.

So Harvey pulled Jerome and Judy alongside Rusty and a couple of trucks.

"Maybe they'll be stronger or faster since there's two of them," suggested Peter Sam quietly.

Jerome lowered his hook and the chain was hooked on.

Jerome's chains started to tug at the load, but it wouldn't budge.

"Do you need some help?" Judy grinned, "Two hooks are better than one after all!"

"This chain is only good enough for one crane," grumbled Jerome, "Besides, I think I can do it."

Harvey frowned as Jerome tried again; this time, the rocks were tugged up into the sky.

"*pant* Look! I did it! Ha ha!" Jerome chuckled, but his luck was short-lived.

He turned to Rusty's trucks, and lowered the rock, but he did it too fast and too hard.

The rocks broke the chains and smashed into Rusty's trucks.

Rusty felt a bump behind him.

"What are you doing back there, Jerome?" he asked, rather annoyed.

Jerome gulped.

"Uh... your trucks are loaded... I think."

"Actually some of the trucks are slightly damaged," Harvey observed, "Either that or the rocks didn't actually fall into the trucks."

Jerome's face went dark red as Judy and Peter Sam giggled.

"...well.. uh..."

"I think I'll handle this," interrupted Harvey, "I appreciate the enthusiasm but one needs to know their limits."

Jerome just grunted.

The next day, at Tidmouth Harbour, the goods shed was almost finished being repaired.

"Just a few finishing touches and it'll look as good as new," said Kelly cheerfully.

"Only problem is we need someone to lift the wood planks and carry it over," said Jack.

"I can't do it," defended Kelly, "I'm still trying to lift these pipes."

Just then, Hiro arrived with Jerome and Judy.

"Hello everyone!" Hiro exclaimed, "Since I am here in Murdoch's place, the Fat Controller told me to pick up Jerome and Judy from the yard."

"Where's Rocky?" asked Jack.

"Oh. Rocky's cable snapped so Jerome and Judy are in their place."

Jerome and Judy grinned as usual.

"Indeed! What's the problem?" asked Judy.

"Well, these wood planks need-"

"Thank you, crane, but I can take it from here," Judy chuckled as her hook was attached to the chains holding the wood.

Kelly winced.

"Um... Maybe you should be a bit more careful."

"Judy's always excited like this," said Jerome, "You'll have to excuse it."

"Maybe so, but excitement can lead to-"

The sound of wood clashing with the ground was heard.

Jack gasped.

"Kelly, the wood... is fine!"

"What?"

"Ha, I told you I'm useful," said Judy, "And..."

"That's actually not where the wood's supposed to be."

Judy shot a look at Kelly.

"No, it is the right spot."

Kelly rolled his eyes.

"Jack, is that the right spot?"

Jack grimaced.

"I'm siding with Kelly on this one. The wood's supposed to go over there." and Jack peered over to where the wood should've been; next to a crate of supplies.

Judy sighed.

"Alright, alright..."

So Judy lifted the wood up again, but like Jerome, she started to struggle.

"Come on... stupid wood... Lift already!"

Jerome snickered.

Hiro was rather confused though.

"Didn't you two lift engines before? Why are you so broken down now?" he asked worriedly.

Judy winced as the wood dropped to the ground again.

"I'll get it," mumbled Kelly as he lowered his pipe down and drove to the wood.

"We're not as strong as Rocky," Jerome admitted, "And he's built with stronger machinery."

"But, like Rocky, we also haven't been repaired for a while. I suppose it's because the Fat Controller has better things to spend money on, I don't know." added Judy.

Isobella chuffed in with a delivery of fuel for Jack and Kelly.

"You mean like a giant doughnut?" she grinned.

Kelly glared as he lifted the wood into the air.

"Isobella, how rude!"

"Well, it's true," Isobella snorted, "Here's your fuel."

Kelly sighed as the workmen unloaded the containers of fuel.

At the Steamworks, Kevin drove up to Rocky's siding with new cable on his hook.

"Here's your new cable, Rocky! I think we just have to apply it and you're free to go."

Rocky sighed.

"I do hope so; I'm not sure how long Jerome and Judy will hold out."

"What do you mean?" asked Kevin.

"Well... they need to be repaired is what I'm saying," muttered Rocky.

Kevin chuckled.

"Don't worry, Rocky. Maybe something will be done about it." and the workmen started ripping off the cable.

"Indeed, Rocky," added Murdoch, who was starting to be repaired, "Don't worry about anything."

However, Rocky did worry.

"I hope Jerome and Judy can handle my work.." he muttered, "I don't want them to end up like me."

"Did you say something Rocky?" asked Kevin.

Rocky stuttered.

"Nope, Kevin. Just keep helping those workmen."

Kevin looked unsure, but didn't press the issue.

"Phew..." said Rocky quietly.

The next morning, Rocky's cable was replaced. He grinned as Hank puffed in to take him back to Knapford Yards.

"Howdy there, champ! How ya doin'?" asked the American engine.

"I'm doing much better, thank you." Rocky said gratefully, "Thanks to Kevin and Victor."

"No problem, Rocky." said Kevin proudly.

"Always ready to lend a hand, my friend." chuffed Victor.

"Well then, let's head on home!" said Hank.

He blew his whistle and the two friends headed out of the Steamworks.

"I expect Jerome and Judy to be here soon..." Victor muttered under his breath.

Soon, Hank arrived.

"Well, there ya go Rocky! We're back home since you're not needed at the Rescue Centre right now."

Hank looked around.

"Say, where's Jerome and Judy? Don't they usually sleep on that siding over there?"

Before Rocky could reply, Diesel oiled into the yard, laughing.

"Boy, they were the most pathetic cranes I've ever seen!" he cackled, "I can't believe I had to shunt them away to the sidings..bahaha!"

Hank raised an eyebrow.

"What in the hay is that supposed to mean?" Hank asked.

"Jerome and Judy... at the Rescue Centre... They tried to lift these heavy pipes... Both of them... Belle said they tried but it was hilarious!" Diesel said.

Rocky and Hank looked worriedly to each other.

"Should we go there?" asked Rocky.

"No, no... At least, I don't think so." Diesel snickered as he went back to work.

"I have a bad feeling," murmured Hank, "And it ain't from that black box on wheels for once."

"I heard that!"

Rocky snickered.

"Good one."

"Thanks. I only came up with it in two seconds." Hank grinned.

"Well, let's head to the Rescue Centre anyway. I have a feeling something's wrong." Rocky said.

"Good idea!" and Hank puffed off, tugging the large crane behind him.

"I swear it was all his fault!"

"No, it was her fault!"

"His!"

"Hers!"

Belle groaned; Jerome and Judy had been arguing about who had spilled the pipes for a while now.

"Jerome, Judy, can't you just two admit it was an accident?" she pleaded.

"No, it was his fault!" cried Judy.

Captain rolled his eyes.

"While enthusiastic, they can also be very irritating." he said quietly to Belle.

"I wouldn't want to hurt their feelings, but I have to agree," sighed Belle.

Hank arrived, with Rocky.

"What happened here?" asked Rocky.

Belle sighed.

"Let's just say Jerome and Judy tried to lift up some pipes together and the chains broke and the pipes fell to the ground."

"His fault!" scowled Judy.

"Hers!" muttered Jerome.

Rocky sighed.

"You two, it was an accident. Let me take care of this."

"You're repaired already?" asked Captain in surprise.

"It was just a snapped cable," smirked Rocky as the pipes were gathered together.

Jerome and Judy watched with a hint of envy as Rocky lifted the pipes properly into a flatbed.

"Apparently ya need repairs," suggested Hank, "I suggest talking to the Fat Controller 'bout that."

Jerome sighed.

"...true... I suppose it was unfair of us to judge each other like that... I'm sorry, Judy."

Judy frowned.

"And I'm sorry too Jerome. We should work together as a team; not be rivals!"

Belle and Captain sighed with relief.

Rocky grinned, and began to think of an idea.

"Hank, let me tell you something..." Rocky whispered.

Later that week, Jerome and Judy were sleeping in the yard when they felt someone being coupled up to them.

They awoke suddenly.

"Who's there?" Judy cried.

The engine chuckled.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."

"Murdoch! You're repaired!" cried Jerome.

"Again!" grinned Judy.

Murdoch rolled his eyes.

"Laugh all you like, but I don't care. Anyhow, I'm to take you to the Steamworks."

"Why?" asked Jerome with a puzzled expression.

Murdoch grinned.

"So you'll be stronger and be updated, like Rocky."

"Who asked the Fat Controller?" said Jerome in confusion.

"Rocky," said Murdoch proudly.

Jerome and Judy exchanged excited looks as Murdoch puffed out of the yard.

Soon, he arrived at the works.

"Well, hello Murdoch. What can I do for you, my friend?" Victor asked kindly.

"Well, Victor, the Fat Controller's told me to tell you that Jerome and Judy need upgrades."

Victor smiled.

"Of course, my friend. Kevin!"

"Coming boss!" came a voice, "Oops, I spilled some oil. Can someone clean that up?"

Victor sighed.

"Kevin!"

"Oh, right, the supplies. I'll be right with you boss!" yelled Kevin.

Soon Jerome and Judy were updated and became just as strong as Rocky, like in the olden days of the North Western Railway.

Nothing gets between them now, and are Really Useful Cranes alongside Rocky.


End file.
